Evaluating a new supported employment internship programme for autistic young adults without intellectual disability.
Maria Ashworth, Brett Heasman, Laura Crane and 1 others
PMID 38014693WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic interns and employers valued a supported internship for building confidence and breaking down workplace barriers.
However, mismatches in skills and expectations occurred, and parents questioned if the high level of support reflected real-world work conditions.
Key findings
01Interns reported improved confidence and self-development, while employers noted the experience challenged their preconceptions about autism and prompted them to rethink workplace structures.
02Participants identified unmet expectations, including mismatches between intern skills and assigned tasks, and concerns from parents that the internship offered too much support compared to typical employment.
03The study relied on a self-selected sample where only 17.4% of possible interns participated, limiting generalisability to those with potentially more positive experiences.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Only 17.4% of eligible interns participated, suggesting a self-selection bias towards those with positive experiences or greater comfort with research. Employers may have demonstrated social desirability bias, potentially omitting negative aspects of the internship. The study did not assess long-term employment outcomes or whether employer reflections led to actual policy changes. Findings apply to autistic adults without intellectual disability and may not generalise to those with ID.
Declared interests
The PhD research was funded by Ambitious about Autism, the organisation that developed and delivered the internship programme being evaluated. Ambitious about Autism was not involved in data analysis or writing the study.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the reported improvements in confidence and employer attitudes as evidence that the programme increases employment rates or long-term job retention, as these outcomes were not measured.